1954–55 Montreal Canadiens season

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1954–55 Montreal Canadiens
Division 2nd NHL
1954–55 record 41–18–11
Goals for 228
Goals against 157
General Manager Frank J. Selke
Coach Dick Irvin
Captain Emile Bouchard
Arena Montreal Forum
Team leaders
Goals Bernie Geoffrion and Maurice Richard (38)
Assists Doug Harvey (43)
Points Bernie Geoffrion (75)
Penalties in minutes Maurice Richard (125)

The 1954–55 Montreal Canadiens season involved Maurice Richard being banned for the playoffs.

Contents:
Regular season – Playoffs – Player stats – Awards and records - Transactions
Roster - Draft picks – Farm teams – See also – References


[edit] Offseason

[edit] Regular season

[edit] Season standings

National Hockey League GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
Detroit Red Wings 70 42 17 11 95 204 134 827
Montreal Canadiens 70 41 18 11 93 228 157 890
Toronto Maple Leafs 70 24 24 22 70 147 135 990
Boston Bruins 70 23 26 21 67 169 188 863
New York Rangers 70 17 35 18 52 150 210 690
Chicago Black Hawks 70 13 40 17 43 161 235 733

[edit] The Maurice Richard Riots

For more details on this topic, see Richard Riot.

On March 13, 1955, Richard was given a match penalty for deliberately injuring Hal Laycoe, in a game against the Boston Bruins. He struck Linesman Cliff Thompson unconscious in the melee, and as that was his second attack on an official that season alone, a hearing was held in which Richard was suspended for the balance of that season and the playoffs; at the time, the longest suspension for an on-ice incident in NHL history. Public outrage from Montreal soon poured in. NHL President Clarence Campbell did not budge, and announced that he would be attending the Canadiens' next home game against the Detroit Red Wings in four days.

Midway into the first period, Campbell arrived with his fiancee. Outraged Canadiens fans immediately began pelting them with eggs, vegetables, and various debris, with more being thrown at him each time the Red Wings scored as they built up a 4–1 lead. The continuous pelting of various objects stopped when a tear gas bomb was set off inside the Forum not far from where Campbell was sitting. The Forum was ordered evacuated and Campbell ruled the game forfeited to the Red Wings. That was the last straw, as a riot ensued outside the Forum, causing $500,000 in damage to the neighbourhood and the Forum itself. Hundreds of stores were looted and vandalized within a 15-block radius of the Forum. Twelve policemen and 25 civilians were injured. The riot continued well into the night, with police arresting people by the truckload. Local radio stations, which carried live coverage of the riot for over seven hours, had to be forced off the air. The riot was eventually over at 3 am, and left Montreal's Rue Ste-Catherine a mess.

Richard's suspension also cost him the Art Ross Trophy, the closest he ever came to winning it. When Richard's teammate Bernie Geoffrion passed him on the last day of the regular season, he was booed by Montreal faithful. Geoffrion, a right wing, was struggling to gain recognition of his considerable talents because Gordie Howe of Detroit, Andy Bathgate of the New York Rangers, and, of course, the Rocket, were the outstanding right wings of the Original Six, the 1950s' NHL.

The Canadiens would lose the Cup final to Detroit in seven games, but would win the Cup in the year after, which came, fittingly, over the Wings — and the four years after that. Richard retired in 1960 after the Canadiens' fifth straight Stanley Cup, a record that still stands.

[edit] Player stats

[edit] Forwards

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player GP G AST PTS PIM
Bernie Geoffrion 70 38 37 75 57

[edit] Defencemen

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player GP G AST PTS PIM

[edit] Goaltending

Note: GP= Games played; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against

Player GP W L T SO GAA

[edit] Playoffs

Montreal defeated the Boston Bruins 4–1 to reach the finals.

[edit] Stanley Cup Finals

For more details on this topic, see 1955 Stanley Cup Finals.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 3 Montreal 2 Detroit 4
April 5 Montreal 1 Detroit 7
April 7 Detroit 2 Montreal 6
April 9 Detroit 3 Montreal 5
April 10 Montreal 1 Detroit 5
April 12 Detroit 3 Montreal 6
April 14 Montreal 1 Detroit 3

Detroit wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

[edit] Awards and records

[edit] References

v • d • e
Montreal Canadiens
Stanley Cups
Affiliates
v • d • e
Montreal Canadiens seasons
1909–10 • 1910–11 • 1911–12 • 1912–13 • 1913–14 • 1914–15 • 1915–16 • 1916–17 • 1917–18 • 1918–19 • 1919–20 • 1920–21 • 1921–22 • 1922–23 • 1923–24 • 1924–25 • 1925–26 • 1926–27 • 1927–28 • 1928–29 • 1929–30 • 1930–31 • 1931–32 • 1932–33 • 1933–34 • 1934–35 • 1935–36 • 1936–37 • 1937–38 • 1938–39 • 1939–40 • 1940–41 • 1941–42 • 1942–43 • 1943–44 • 1944–45 • 1945–46 • 1946–47 • 1947–48 • 1948–49 • 1949–50 • 1950–51 • 1951–52 • 1952–53 • 1953–54 • 1954–55 • 1955–56 • 1956–57 • 1957–58 • 1958–59 • 1959–60 • 1960–61 • 1961–62 • 1962–63 • 1963–64 • 1964–65 • 1965–66 • 1966–67 • 1967–68 • 1968–69 • 1969–70 • 1970–71 • 1971–72 • 1972–73 • 1973–74 • 1974–75 • 1975–76 • 1976–77 • 1977–78 • 1978–79 • 1979–80 • 1980–81 • 1981–82 • 1982–83 • 1983–84 • 1984–85 • 1985–86 • 1986–87 • 1987–88 • 1988–89 • 1989–90 • 1990–91 • 1991–92 • 1992–93 • 1993–94 • 1994–95 • 1995–96 • 1996–97 • 1997–98 • 1998–99 • 1999–00 • 2000–01 • 2001–02 • 2002–03 • 2003–04 • 2004–05 • 2005–06 • 2006–07 • 2007–08 • 2008–09
Bold indicates Stanley Cup Championship
v • d • e
1954–55 NHL season by team
Original Six
Boston • Chicago • Detroit • Montreal • NY Rangers • Toronto
See also
All-Star Game • 1955 Stanley Cup Finals